


still we've got nothing but time

by chime



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Kamen Sentai Gorider
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 16:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10540506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chime/pseuds/chime
Summary: After waking up in a weird abandoned amusement park, Kiriya and Emu have some time to catch up.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this'll definitely get torn apart by gorider ep 2 but i wanted to write something where emu gets a bit of a break. it ended up much more depressing than i intended though.

They end up having a lot of free time, in-between being ambushed and arguing with each other.

Even without being able to leave, the theme park is sizable enough to walk around, and Emu takes advantage of this. Frequently. Kiriya would chalk it up to general wariness - they _had_ tried to kill him, after all - if Emu didn’t seem to clam up every time he entered the room.

So, the next time Emu declares that he’s going for a walk, Kiriya grabs his jacket and follows him.

He trails behind Emu, conspicuous enough to be noticed but far enough that Emu would have to go out of his way to acknowledge him.

It’s always light out, in this place. It’s disconcerting, and probably hell on Emu’s sleep cycle, but ultimately more convenient than if the sun ever set. The Master, whoever they were, seems practical, in addition to completely off the rails.

“Kiriya.” Emu says, stopping but not turning to face him. “Did you… need something?”

“Yeah,” Kiriya says, kind of starting to feel like he’s the bad guy, “I wanted to talk. We haven’t seen each other in a while, you know?”

He’d meant it as a joke, but Emu stiffens in front of him.

Kiriya knows that he never really knew Emu. He didn’t have the chance. And he never would, especially not here.

But he knows that Emu wasn’t like this before, so pale and skittish, and it makes something in him ache.

He doesn’t know what to do with that.

“Sorry. Bad joke.” Kiriya says. He clears his throat, trying for semi-honesty, “I’m a little worried about what’s going on without me around.”

Emu sighs and turns to face him. “It’s… a lot.”

Kiriya shrugs. “I’ve got time.”

They end up sitting on a wall by the ferris wheel. Emu does most of the talking, and he wasn’t kidding. A lot happened without him. The thought stings, a little.

When he’s done, Kiriya doesn’t know what to say. It’s all there, in front of him, and he’ll have to pick it apart later.

He didn’t really come here to think about himself.

He whistles, staring at the sky. “That is a lot.”

Emu nods an agreement, staring at his hands. Must have taken a lot to tell him, too.

Kiriya glances at him, asks, “How are you holding up?”

Emu shrugs. “Alright. I have a lot of help.”

“Hey, I’m supposed to be the liar here.” Kiriya says, with no heat behind it. Emu frowns at his lap. “We can talk about something else, if you want, though.”

Emu looks at him, surprised, like there was anything else _to_ talk about.

“How’s your internship going?” He asks, and grins at the look on Emu’s face.

The conversation winds down eventually, though not before Kiriya learns just how much of a stick in the mud that genius surgeon is. After some more time talking about not much of anything, in which Kiriya also learns a great deal about the Taddle Quest series, Emu says, suddenly shy, “Hey, Kiriya. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure,” Kiriya says, because it’s hard to say no to a face like that.

“Stay right there.” Emu says, and hops off the wall to stand in front of him.

Emu takes a step forward, and Kiriya has a second to get his hopes up before Emu hugs him, stiff and awkward.

Which is fine, too. Kiriya laughs and wraps an arm around him. “You could have just asked.”

Emu huffs, but he relaxes a little too. Better.

They stay like that for a minute, give or take - time is hard to quantify here, and anyway it doesn’t matter. Thought he still didn’t need to sleep or eat like this, he could still feel. Hugging Emu felt nice.

Emu does pull away, though. He looks a little red, but he’s smiling. Much better.

The smile is what does him in. Kiriya doesn’t know a lot about Emu. And he won’t. But he’s nice, and he has a nice smile, and he believed in him. He doesn’t want to go back to being really, actually dead with even more regrets.

So Kiriya kicks off from the wall, saying, “Hey, ace. Can I ask a favor, too?”

Emu blinks, nonplussed. “Of course.”

He leans up and kisses Emu.

At first Emu just stands there, surprised, but then he makes this sad little noise that has Kiriya pulling back in alarm.

Emu catches him by the wrist, so Kiriya doesn’t get too far. Neither of them says anything.

“Sorry,” Emu says, voice even despite the look on his face. What was he even sorry about? “You just surprised me.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m the one who kissed you out of nowhere.” Kiriya says. He could just laugh it off, and it would be fine. They could go back to that darkened cabin and not talk about this ever again.

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Emu says, not letting go. “I’m really glad.”

“You don’t exactly look it.”

Emu smiles weakly. “I just wish it didn’t have to happen like this.”

Kiriya has no idea what to say to that.

He doesn’t know what kind of luck it is that they suddenly hear footsteps echoing out, and a voice calling, “Hello? Guys?”

Emu drops his wrist, turning towards the sound. Kiriya takes a deep breath, and lets it out.

It’s the Blade guy, Kenzaki. He always seemed like the nicer one, but Kiriya can’t appreciate his concern at the moment.

Emu looks at him, face unreadable. “Let’s go?”

Kiriya smiles, trying for reassuring. “Sure.”

On the way back, they talk with Kenzaki a bit, but Emu doesn’t really look any better.

Kiriya hopes he’ll have another chance to fix that.


End file.
